by Colin Aina
"Pain is weakness leaving the body"; "No pain, no gain" ; "Quitters never win";
We've all heard these typical quotes shouted at us from time to time. These may have come from a coach, parent, teacher, or some random person driving by us as we were out for a run. Besides the incomparable Dr. John (RIP) who I attribute the last quote to, who are the authors of such sayings that have been engrained into the lexicon? What was the context that brought these slogans about?
I was inspired by some quotes that I've heard first hand lately and I'd like to pay homage to the authors!
"Outsource your accountability"- Andrew Vittoria, 212 Dudeguy
Andrew mentioned this to me upon meeting him at his first visit to the gym. He referenced this is terms of getting back into shape and making sure that he was held accountable. He mentioned how he, like many others, failed at getting back into shape and needed to employ professionals to get the job done. Outsourcing his accountability to us and letting his goals be known will ensure that it will be that much tougher to "slip" and fail.
So if you have goals that you want to accomplish, make those goals known to somebody whom will keep you accountable. Simply being reminded of that goal will aid in keeping motivation high. If the goal changes, let that be known.
"Be grateful for your workout"- Mani Arthur, Black Cyclist Network, GCN
I've had the privilege to be able to enjoy the activities that make me happy! I was also fortunate to compete in my sport at a very high level for a number of years, but I've also had setbacks and injuries that have kept me on the sidelines. I always felt a sense of great relief once I was recovered and got back to business.
Mani Arthur, Founder of the Black Cyclist network and presenter for the Global Cycling Network, has used a term that really struck me while leading an indoor virtual training ride recently... "Be grateful for this workout". Seemingly, that's a very direct and simple slogan, but it struck me. Coincidentally, this training session was on my 40th birthday and a month prior, I attended the funeral of a college teammate and roommate whom had died just after his 40th birthday. I thought about how his life had begun the same year as mine, but here I was, fully able and capable of doing something that I love and that challenged my physical limits (it was a doozy of a session). My friend would never have that chance again. I have always felt that we should be grateful for our ability to to be active or train with a group of people or at a gym/training facility. Many people don't have the financial resources to afford a gym membership, let alone training, but would love to. Some people are unable to enjoy physical activity the way they'd like due to illness, injury or time. Yes, there are times when our workouts will not be fun, we may whine, but take a few seconds to think of how grateful you are that you are capable of even having the option to do them.
Think about the people you know that cannot due to the aforementioned reasons. Think of the reason why your activity makes you happy, and how, in some cases, creates a better version of yourself.